The water in the patio of the hostal is frozen and it's really slippery. At freezing temperatures we have a good breakfast (BTW bring your sleeping bag as you'll be warmer and more importantly will not be killed under the weight of the blankets, e.g. you may have as many as five of them, disabling any easy moving of your feet under them).
According to Lonely Planet the casa nacional/real de moneda is one of South America's finest museums – the king of Spain thought that it was built of silver when he saw the bill for its construction at the time. It's a huge mint that was used to make coins from the silver of Cerro Rico behind Potosí for 200 years. The entrance fee covers the guided tour through all the vaults. Indeed the building and its exhibitions are impressive.
Before we leave though, we have to buy some Salteñas (like an empanada) for Mr. Sakurai's happiness. We leave for Uyuni at around lunch time - we loop a few times to find the right street, and have to ask several times.
Then over the ridge all of a sudden the salt lake reveals itself with the mountain backdrop: Salar de Uyuni. The entrance to Uyuni is not very pleasant, actually Sakurai's are quite shocked how messy it is (large areas covered with garbage, mostly plastic bags).
After two stops we find rooms in the Toñito Hotel which is supposed to have heated rooms, except that there aren't any anymore. It is bitter cold in the evening and we rush to the restaurant. Just before we book a guide to ride with us to the lake (35 USD) – a one-day tour. We decide that we'll be back on Tuesday so we have enough time at Uyuni and we also agree to meet the guide at 8.30h next morning. Later we find out that usually the tours start at 10 or 11 o'clock.
As I am still not at my digesting capacity I don't remember the food, but the open fire offered some warmth – or the impression of it.
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